I've Had An Idea !

[MauriceMynah]

A topic of conversation that comes up from time to time is the issue of negative feedback. If a member can write something positive about a company, it should follow that negative comments should also be allowed.

One problem (I believe the most important one) with this is that the negative feedback is there forever and could affect the decisions of a possible customer whilst the conditions of the complaint may have changed. For example no-one seems to have made a big thing about a certain pub who's hygene standards were 1 star, is now 5 (I'm told) yet there was much said when the single star was in force.

Now a question for the tech team. Is it possible for a thread or even a selection of threads to have an automatic delete period of say a rolling 8 weeks (or two months) so only the reasonably recent reviews are visible? To complicate the issue, could it be variable? Perhaps 8 weeks in the off season but 4 weeks in high season?.

If that could be done, businesses who failed to address problems would continue to receive poor reviews where those who improved would quickly lose outdated criticisms.

I throw the idea to all who are interested. 

[grendel]

To be honest MM, I dont even know if thats possible, but I will have a look later.

[finny]

We all have differing opinions on what is good or bad when it comes to eating and drinking out , I personally never take any note of anything said on the forum on such matters  - Never been a sheep and if someone is prepared to make a decision based on someone's opinion well so be it personally I think Its rather sad 

 

finny 

[ChrisB]

22 minutes ago, finny said:

We all have differing opinions on what is good or bad when it comes to eating and drinking out , I personally never take any note of anything said on the forum on such matters  - Never been a sheep and if someone is prepared to make a decision based on someone's opinion well so be it personally I think Its rather sad 

 

finny 

I tend to agree, but if someone says something like " Gigantic Portions "  I do take note. I absolutely hate a mountain of food infront of me, however well cooked, my hunger just vanishes. So "Monster Portion" establishments do not get my business. I love that establishment in Horstead. But only eat a main course. Starter and main is too much so I go for a main. Often Dover Sole plus a sorbet to follow if available.

[Ray]

Reviews are only as good as the people that make them. I would certainly take note of reviews here in the forum where a group of (mostly) like minded people are members and on respectful and (mostly) friendly terms.

A stranger on Facebook or a newspaper critic trying to be 'clever'... not so much.

I like MM's idea, especially as it automatically comes from a starting point of helpful information for all members rather than simply making waves for a business owner.

[grendel]

I have had a look, and I cant find a way to achieve this at present, so if we did this it would be a manual action by the moderators, which is a route I dont really want to pursue at present.

[Poppy]

I invariably use review sites like Trip Advisor etc before committing to a booking or purchase, but I will NEVER base my decision on one report, and I will always note the date of both good and bad reviews.

That's the sensible way IMHO. May I humbly suggest others take the same action in relation to reviews on here.

[stumpy]

6 hours ago, finny said:

We all have differing opinions on what is good or bad when it comes to eating and drinking out , I personally never take any note of anything said on the forum on such matters  - Never been a sheep and if someone is prepared to make a decision based on someone's opinion well so be it personally I think Its rather sad 

 

finny 

We're with finny on this - there are those who love a pub with Sky sports on a 72" screen showing kick-bladder with a dozen lagers on gas but we'd far rather see three or four well kept barrels on a stillage and a buzz of good conversation from a few old boys with Labradors under their tables. Different strokes for different folks.

[Ray]

So feedback whether positive or negative is useful to you and all of us. If someone mentions a noisy sports bar for example those that enjoy that will now know somewhere to visit  those who dislike such things know where to avoid.

Sounds more like sense than sheep to me.

I believe though that MM's point was about negative reviews in particular being considered unfair if the circumstances change for the better but the review remains. In that case, using the pub example although it could be any kind of business, you have some information to bear in mind whether or not you care to patronise the establishment to see for yourself.

Ignoring a review just because it's a review in case it makes you feel sheep like seems baaaking, ewe won't find it helpful either way 

[finny]

8 minutes ago, Ray said:

So feedback whether positive or negative is useful to you and all of us. If someone mentions a noisy sports bar for example those that enjoy that will now know somewhere to visit  those who dislike such things know where to avoid.

Sounds more like sense than sheep to me.

I believe though that MM's point was about negative reviews in particular being considered unfair if the circumstances change for the better but the review remains. In that case, using the pub example although it could be any kind of business, you have some information to bear in mind whether or not you care to patronise the establishment to see for yourself.

Ignoring a review just because it's a review in case it makes you feel sheep like seems baaaking, ewe won't find it helpful either way 

I dont think its a case of ignoring a review - i just think the best review for yourself is your own - bahhhh far the best  

 

finny 

[MauriceMynah]

 If reviews of a pub are good, I would be inclined to use it.

If those reviews were bad I might be inclined to use another hostelry instead.

If I was not going to take notice of the reviews I would question why I had wasted my time reading them.

If I don't read them, I'm unlikely to write them.

If I write them I would be expecting those who read them to take notice of what I write.

If I neither read them nor write them and any I come across I ignore, I probably wouldn't have started this thread :-)

[SwanR]

I think it would be good to have a reviews section. Maybe if each review was to be started with the date of the visit then it would be easy to see how old it was and then people can use their judgement as to whether it's valid. For example if I look on Trip Advisor I am interested in reviews within the last 3 to 6 months. Anything over one year I'm likely to take with a pinch of salt.

If the member posting didn't put the date clearly at the start then can the admin team edit it?

If really concerned about negative impact then we could at least hold this in the members only area.

[MauriceMynah]

1 hour ago, SwanR said:

If really concerned about negative impact then we could at least hold this in the members only area.

I take your point Jean, and understand the thinking behind it, but I suspect that it would be newbies to the Broads who want these reviews and would hope to find them useful. These people would be unlikely to become full members in time for the reviews to be of use.

[SwanR]

That may well be true. But as someone who has spent quite a bit of time in the area, not just when on holiday, I would certainly find it useful to read current reviews.

For example ... I have a couple of favourite places to eat. One would be valid because I've been there in the last couple of months. The other, I haven't been to for maybe a couple of years, so I realise it could have changed and that's why a review with a date would perhaps indicate how relevant it is when read at any later time.

Perhaps given that Trip Advisor is open for anyone to read we shouldn't be worried about reviews made here. 

[smellyloo]

I'm much more likely to keep quiet if I find a great place to eat ..... I don't want it spoilt by rif-raf!

[Markw]

As has previously been said - it can be horses for courses -  we travel all over UK with work and have on many occasion ended up in a completely strange city (to us) & rather than eat all the time in hotel restaurants / bars - we do like to get out & about.  The usual way we do this is by looking at online reviews (usually trip advisor or open table - we find the latter seems to be better - but the restaurants need to be signed up to the booking facility on the website). We also ask the reception staff where they would recommend a good place to eat - always goes down well that one....

Generally - unless an establishment has lots of very negative reviews then we will make an educated decision from what we can read / see in the reviews and go from there.  We still get caught out though and have eaten in places (both on the broads & further afield) that have had very good reviews - yet we have come away from the odd restaurant not having enjoyed the meal and been quite unwell - we don't then add a negative review as we feel that probably the food was just not for us & we will leave other people to decide.

The only time we may leave a review on any website is if we have either very good service - or very poor service - that for us can make or break an evening out...but we have had many a great night out at lots of places based on reviews & feedback online - both here in UK and when we are in the USA.

[Vaughan]

In the later years of my career, our wonderful management from America introduced questionnaire forms which they wanted all customers to fill in. They soon started to get upset because all the forms seemed to contain negative comments. "What has gone wrong with your operation, Vaughan" would be the sort of e-mail which would greet me on a Monday morning. The simple answer was that only those who had something to moan about would fill in the form. All the contented customers would just go home with happy memories of a great holiday. I told the management experts that they would be better to look at our rate of repeat customers, who came back every year. As that was 36% at the time, it won my argument!

Have you ever filled in the questionnaire form, that you find in your hotel bedroom?  One of the only things in the World that costs absolutely nothing, is to say "thank you".

But hardly anyone ever does, these days.

 

[CambridgeCabby]

22 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

In the later years of my career, our wonderful management from America introduced questionnaire forms which they wanted all customers to fill in. They soon started to get upset because all the forms seemed to contain negative comments. "What has gone wrong with your operation, Vaughan" would be the sort of e-mail which would greet me on a Monday morning. The simple answer was that only those who had something to moan about would fill in the form. All the contented customers would just go home with happy memories of a great holiday. I told the management experts that they would be better to look at our rate of repeat customers, who came back every year. As that was 36% at the time, it won my argument!

Have you ever filled in the questionnaire form, that you find in your hotel bedroom?  One of the only things in the World that costs absolutely nothing, is to say "thank you".

But hardly anyone ever does, these days.

 

“Thank you”

[SwanR]

46 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

Have you ever filled in the questionnaire form, that you find in your hotel bedroom?  One of the only things in the World that costs absolutely nothing, is to say "thank you".

But hardly anyone ever does, these days.

 

I always fill in questionnaires with both good and bad comments. I am extremely mindful of praising good service and quality just as much as anything that I feel could be improved. Working in customer service I know how much it means to my team to get the really good feedback rather than only any complaints.

And don't forget how good it makes you feel as well knowing that you have left a smile on someone's face by giving them some positivity.

[grendel]

I am always mindful when expressing criticism, to try and make it constructive, ie to make it a learning point rather than a rant.

[Smoggy]

I never look at anything like trip advisor and take very little notice of reviews, if something is crap there's 99% chance you will go and say so, if something is good there's 1% you will go and say so, and that is before all the pillocks (being polite) that will use a review to get money off.

[Polly]

In teaching circles they talk in terms of ‘Two stars and a wish’ or Www/Ebi which translates as ‘What went well/even better if.

of course it assumes SOME redeeming features! 

[SwanR]

I would have to disagree with that Smoggy. It’s very rewarding to give good reviews to businesses that deserve it. I always write way more positive reviews than negative.


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[Malanka]

I agree with Vaughn. Working in quality always exposes you to everything bad anyone has to say. Done that for 32 years now and it hasn’t changed a bit. What the American management should have done was introduce a golden ticket scheme for those giving great service and going the extra mile. Same information gathered but from a positive response not a negative one. On everyone’s bed when they arrive would be five golden tickets to give to staff when they did something the customer finds exceptional. Works a treat avoids negativity and one soon finds out who the golden nuggets are.

 

M

[grendel]

in my company we have an awards ceremony at our christmas do, the awards are for best team, best manager etc, voted for by the staff, this year I won the peoples choice award, I have been nominated 3 times for it, if you want to get the best from your people, use positive goals, rather than negative, encourage employees to reward good performance.

 my manager won the leadership award, and last year our team won the best team award. judge for yourself if we are doing a good job.